Perhaps the Roses Really Want to Grow
by Nothing Short of Interesting
Summary: Professor Snape and Professor Granger are brought together as a result of the recently introduced Marriage Laws. Join them as they tentatively embark on a future together that neither of them could ever have predicted.
1. Chapter 1

**Perhaps the Roses Really Want to Grow**

* * *

Chapter I

The sunshine of early September dappled the stone walls of the corridor with golden shards of light, as students rushed from their lessons to their 3pm break. Although Hermione had savoured the freshness of new school terms for all of her three years as Charms Professor, this new term was different. This first day of term brought with it a dreadful deadline. The afternoon break so eagerly welcomed by her students served only to remind her that the deadline was hurtling towards her at an unstoppable pace.

"Professor Granger," the black silk of his voice startled her from her reverie. She swiftly turned to him and bobbed her head in acknowledgement. Over the past three years, her prickly relationship with Professor Snape, now Headmaster, had somewhat mellowed to a state of silent respect but not to anything resembling friendship. The corridor around them had emptied, but he turned to check anyway. "Do you have a moment?"

She nodded wordlessly and followed him into his professional working quarters and past the vials and cauldrons of his self-created potions laboratory. There was a distinct scent of mint in the air and she absentmindedly wondered what he had been brewing that afternoon. The black robes hanging from his shoulders billowed as he strode towards his private study.

With an elegant swoop of his robes, he took a seat in the emerald-leathered armchair behind his desk and clasped his hands together. Had she been paying attention, she would have noticed that his hands were as clammy as his brow. Although he was prone to nerves, he regarded them as pathetic and wished he didn't have to acknowledge them. Clearing his throat to get her attention, he took a deep breath and began.

"You haven't yet made your announcement, Professor," he began. She looked at him then with a mixture of terror and despair in her eyes. The expression stopped him momentarily in his tracks as his chest ached at the sight.

"That's because there isn't one to make," the timid tone of her voice was tinged with self-depreciating sarcasm.

"I thought as much," he sighed. "Most others have."

"Well, I'm not 'most others,' she bit back.

"It would perhaps be wise to.." he tried.

"No," her voice trembled but she was determined, "The whole thing is so cruel and..archaic."

"Professor.." he began.

"No," she repeated, cutting him off and trying to ignore the way he pursed his thin lips in annoyance.

Sensing that she was in no mood to tolerate being pushed further, he waited for a few moments in silence while she glared at the inkwell on his desk. Nothing but the ticking of the clock and the uneven sound of her breathing could be heard. Conscious of the time, he took an even deeper breath and pressed on.

"Professor Granger, we have very limited time to discuss this, so please do me the courtesy of listening to what I have to propose to you."

Her eyes brightened slightly as she felt a momentary flutter of hope that he had discovered a way out of this for her. "I'm listening, Professor," her eyes met his.

"In light of everything, most notably your loyalty to this school," be began hesitantly, forcing himself to maintain eye contact, "I can offer one 'solution' to your...predicament."

When he paused, she leant forwards in her chair and encouraged him, "What?"

He pinched the bridge of his nose and inhaled sharply.

"Me. I'm the solution. Obviously."

"Sorry, I don't follow..?" Her brow creased in confusion.

"Obviously, the solution is for you to marry me. Don't you ag.."

"Oh not you as well?" Hermione seethed through gritted teeth as she stood. Professor Snape's eyes widened in shock as she did so. "If one more man even so much as suggests dinner I swear to Merlin that I'll.."

"Apologies for thinking of you," sarcasm dripped from each word as he cut her off.

"Now is not the time for your snide remarks, Professor," said Hermione, her voice unusually sharp. "In what way is THAT a solution?" The floorboards creaked in protest as she paced.

Ignoring the pang of pain her words inflicted, he looked to the clock (five minutes left for discussion), and stood to join her. He couldn't help but notice that her cheeks were burning crimson.

As she paced, she fought to calm her chaotic mind. The suggestion was the very last thing she had expected and left her reeling in shock and confusion. She opened her mouth to resume her tirade but was stopped, open mouthed, in her tracks when he held her shoulders.

"Professor, halt your pacing and listen to me," he pleaded, the urgency and sharpness of his voice betrayed by the gentleness of his hands.

"The deadline for submission of the documents is tonight, Professor," he stressed every syllable as he spoke, hoping to get the frighteningly obvious truth across to her. "To be precise, you have precisely five hours to make the announcement."

Sidelined by the whirlwind of events and the fact that he was touching her, she simply followed his gaze to the clock and nodded

"What other choice do you have? To leave the wizarding world for good? Azkaban?Please, you must consider this option." He dropped his hands from her shoulders and walked calmly to the window. What was left of his dark old heart ached for her, but he couldn't bring himself to tell her that. Severus looked out at the rugged landscape beyond the leaded windows and tried to find a tempest to focus on. Instead, her reflection in one of the glass cells stole his attention. He couldn't help but watch her as the clock's ticking filled the room. "It would of course be entirely platonic. I would expect nothing from you but your loyalty and discretion," he murmured to her reflection.

Hermione gripped the back of the battered leather armchair until her knuckles were white. A platonic marriage was not a prospect she had ever considered. Especially not a platonic marriage to Headmaster Professor Snape. What would her future be like? The wife of Professor Snape? Hermione Snape? Was that truly her only option? She looked towards the window where he stood and bit her lip to stop the tears from falling. The thought of this man, this great man, offering his life to her in such a way was so humbling it hurt. She cleared her throat.

"Professor, it would hardly be fair on you. You would be locked into an unbreakable bond with no hope of ever marrying somebody through free will or love." The whole situation was nonsensical.

"I can assure you that that boat sailed long ago," he admitted sadly. "Besides, the Ministry may change their minds one day."

"Yes, they might," she agreed quietly.

"Do you need some time to think about it?" There wasn't much time at all, but he thought that the illusion may offer comfort to her.

"No, I don't," Hermione answered almost immediately. She stood up straight and walked over to him.

Severus watched her reflection get larger as she approached from behind. Although he wanted to turn, he felt that he couldn't.

"Do you accept?" he asked simply.

"I do," she answered calmly, her words breathy from the magnitude of her agreement. He turned to her then. "We have much to discuss, but... Yes. I agree that this is the best option."

The foolish ghost of a smile graced his lips for a millisecond and he nodded. "Good... That's good."

They stood, awkwardly looking at each other for what seemed like an eternity. Neither sure of what to do or what to say. Neither sure of how to act or what to feel.

Hermione was the one to break the tension.

"That's break time over," she declared as the sound of students filled the hall beyond Severus's rooms. "I wouldn't like to keep my class waiting."

"Yes, you should go," he smiled quickly and awkwardly. As she turned to leave, he realised that he should say something more. "My evening is clear after supper if you'd like to join me here afterwards?" Invitations such as this numbered no more than three since his becoming head master. Never once had one of those invitations been extended to a member of the opposite sex. This unfamiliar territory scared him.

"Yes, but won't people talk?" Her main concern was what they would think of him, not of her. He had much more to lose when news of his apparent seducing of a much younger witch (who just so happened to be his ex pupil) got out.

"Oh, let them," he brushed aside her concerns, having already debated this inevitable loss in his reputation over the past couple of weeks. "Besides, I highly doubt that the news will be far from The Prophet's front page once these are filed," he pointed to the papers piled high on his desk. It was the marriage contract.

She laughed genuinely for the first time in weeks. Before turning to leave she nodded and smiled shyly at him. In response, he mock-bowed his head to her and pursed his lips into a brief smile. In that moment, Hermione knew that, although the future was still shrouded in a thick fog, she would not be facing it unsupported and alone.

* * *

AN

Thank you for reading.

 _All characters etc are borrowed from JK Rowling. Title from 'If I could tell you' by Auden. According to Fanlore, the 'Marriage Laws Challenge' was set by chelleybean. Thank you to all for inspiring me to write this._


	2. Chapter 2

**Perhaps the Roses Really Want to Grow**

* * *

Chapter II

When the feast was over, Hermione stared down at the food she had barely touched and waited for the hall to empty. What remained of the day had passed in a blur of nerves and uncertainty. So many practicalities were yet to be discussed, but she hoped that the evening ahead would provide an opportunity to begin. The schedule of the afternoon's lessons had prevented them from even being in the same room as each other again until the evening feast, so it was with heavy trepidation that she had made her way to the Great Hall behind her chattering students.

On reaching the head table, the already-seated Professor Snape had surreptitiously greeted her with a curt nod and thin smile. Hermione civilly returned the gesture before walking as quickly as possible to her seat a little further down the head table. The moment between them was so brief that it was unnoticed by all others in the room. Throughout his speech to the pupils, she couldn't help but focus on the silk-slicked tone of his voice. It was almost impossible to believe that she would presumably grow to know that measured and hypnotic voice more intimately than anybody else in the world. As usual, he had eaten his meal in silence whilst she had engaged in interesting yet detached conversation with her fellow professors. All had been ordinary and extraordinary at the same time.

Severus looked over to where Hermione was staring at her plate of food and gripped his silver wine goblet a little tighter. The thought of what must have been running through her head was terrifying and intriguing in equal measure. With one last swig of claret, he stood to join the professors in exiting the hall. This time tomorrow, he would be making the official announcement to the very same group of students and staff now present. It would, of course, be more of a courtesy announcement rather than a news flash; the evening edition of the Daily Prophet would make sure of that (a thought that made him inwardly shudder).

As he made his way to the great doors, his mind wandered back to the past few hours of form-filling and declaration-writing. All that was now required to make their betrothal official was for her signature to join his own on at the bottom of the parchment document. The thought of this made him turn briefly to look at her, now sitting alone at the head table. He hesitated, unsure of whether to escort her to his quarters or to leave her to her thoughts until she was ready.

With a heavy sense of uncertainty, he chose the latter and hoped that she would follow him.

* * *

The fire crackled and spat in the grate as he waited patiently for her to arrive, seriously hoping that she hadn't decided to bolt instead. The house elves had done a good job of cleaning his quarters in anticipation of her arrival and had even added a bouquet of crocosmias to the perpetually empty glass vase on the window sill.

A timid knock at the door coincided with the half-hour chime of the clock, so he would almost certainly have missed it had he not been listening so acutely. Without hesitation, he swept across the room and opened the door in one swift motion to reveal Hermione.

"Good evening, Professor," he greeted her and stood aside, inviting her into his world.

"Good evening," replied Hermione, as she tentatively walked passed him, her midnight blue velvet coat shimmering in the candlelight as she entered. Unsure of what to say or do, she avoided eye contact and adjusted the feather in her matching velvet conical hat.

"Can I offer you a drink, perhaps?" He strode over to the sideboard and poured a firewhisky from a crystal decanter as he spoke.

"Yes. That may help," she laughed nervously to calm the tension in the room. As she did so, she noticed how much tidier everything was compared with earlier. This piqued her interest.

Severus smiled as he handed her the crystal glass and gestured for her to walk before him to the study. He cleared his throat as they resumed their positions at the desk in a direct continuation of the earlier scene.

"Professor Granger, forgive me for getting to the point rather abruptly but my owl is waiting to take the document to The Ministry," he gestured to the contract on the desk between them and she followed his gaze. "It only needs your signature to be complete."

"I trust you have read through the small print, Professor?" There was a slight note of teasing in her voice, but it went unnoticed.

"Obviously. I researched everything before making my proposal," Severus stated as he handed the black quill to her and she accepted.

With a deep breath, she dipped the quill in the well of deep green ink and scratched her name onto the parchment. The 'H' and the 'G' in her name looped up to intertwine with 'S' and 'S' of his.

"Well, I suppose it can go now?" The matter-of-fact way in which she spoke surprised her. Severus nodded and summoned his owl.

"With just ten minutes to spare," he grumbled but there was an almost undetectable warmth in his voice. "Thank you for agreeing to this, Professor. Hogwarts would not have been the same without you."

It was the truth. There was simply no doubt that Hermione Granger was the 'brightest witch of her age' and Severus saw no reason why such a racially aggregated law should deprive him of her. Or rather, he corrected himself, the school of her.

Despite having heard this a thousand times before, she had never heard it from him. She blamed the whisky for the heat that she could feel spreading across her cheeks and prayed to Merlin that he would not notice.

He did, of course, but chose not to comment.

"Is there anything that you would particularly like to discuss? Now would probably be a good time." Discussion of personal matters was something he very rarely and always unwillingly engaged in. The current situation, however, was highly unusual and therefore warranted exactly that type of discussion.

"Yes," she answered honestly and took a small sip of whisky to calm her heart rate. The ground they were about to embark upon was unfamiliar and potentially treacherous. She was fully aware that her discomfort probably paled in comparison to his. "Shall we begin with living arrangements?" That seemed like a good and even place to start.

"Practical as ever, Professor Granger." A slight hint of colour entered his usually pale skin so he aimed to disguise it with sarcasm. "It will probably be most appropriate for you to move into these quarters on the wedding night." He noticed that her cheeks were a furious shade of pink as she surveyed the room. When she made no comment, he continued. "In addition to the 'public' reception room, laboratory, and study, there is a large private sitting room, modest kitchen, bathroom, and a bedroom."

The mention of a singular 'bedroom' brought her widened eyes to meet his. He coughed and looked away.

"Only one bedroom?"

"Yes. But quite large enough for two beds." Her eyes widened further and his stomach twisted with nerves. "With drapes, of course."

"Of course," she repeated.

"Privacy will not be an issue," he insisted.

"No?"

"No," he confirmed.

"Right," she stated sharply.

They both focused on the heavy tick-tocking of the clock and stared into their crystal glasses.

"Besides," his sudden statement startled her, "The Ministry states that husband and wife must share a room."

"Right," she repeated and took another sip of whisky. "Of course."

Another few minutes passed in silence as both of them tried to envisage how their marriage was ever going to work.

"How about names?" It was his turn to jump a little when her voice interrupted the settled silence.

"I don't follow?" His pale brow creased and his eyes narrowed.

"Should I take your name?" Part of her hoped he would say yes and the other part hoped he would say no.

"That will probably be expected, yes," he said gently. "Our marriage will be far from conventional, so we should at least attempt to appear publicly traditional at every opportunity."

"Which I guess also extends to the ceremony itself?" She moved their conversation onto more comfortable ground; talk of ceremony could hardly be offensive.

"We have only two weeks to prepare, but yes," he nodded. "I have set the date for 4pm on 15th September."

"That shouldn't be too difficult. I don't particularly want a fuss."

"Neither do I. A private affair will be sufficient for the ceremony," he agreed, secretly relieved that he and his bride had at least that in common. "The feast afterwards, however, is inevitable."

"Oh," her face fell.

"My thoughts exactly, but I am conscious of our...'well known' status," he explained. "A large feast is inevitable so plans will need to be made."

"Won't that draw too much attention?"

"That is rather the point, professor," he sighed. "Diverting their attention to food and dance will hopefully keep them away from our somewhat 'irregular' private life."

Hermione couldn't argue with that.

"St Govan's may be nice for the ceremony," Hermione suggested nervously. "I'm fond of the place and the size will provide the perfect excuse for limiting the guest list."

He raised his eyebrows. The tiny single cell grotto chapel set atop a small island, thirty steps up from the lake was a little-known and apparently inaccessible haven of peace in the grounds of Hogwarts. The bare stone moss-mottled walls and the single stained glass window offered a peaceful and spiritual refuge from the outside world.

"I didn't think many people knew about that place?"

"They don't, but I'm not 'many people', Professor," she smiled. "I like the rugged honesty of it."

"So do I," he smiled quickly and for a moment looked a little wistful. He cleared his throat. "There will be two Ministry of Magic representatives to act as witnesses, Minerva will be the bonder... I have no express desire for anyone else to be present. How about you? There will be room for three more."

Hermione thought about her friends. Harry and Ginny were closest to her, but she had no 'express desire' for them to witness a union with their former Potions Master. However, to not invite them could be taken in the wrong way...

"Before you suggest Hagrid, let me remind you that he simply will not fit," Severus stated sarcastically when she didn't answer immediately. He could tell something was bothering her. Relief gripped his poor old heart when she laughed and shook her head. "I don't mind if you invite Potter."

"Yes you do," she laughed. "Besides, they have their own life now. And I'm not sure I want friends to be present when my parents can't be," she smiled sadly.

"What a fine pair we make," he scoffed with a wry smile. "You will obviously need a dress."

"I suppose that will be expected too." She hadn't even thought about that yet. Although she knew he was right, she dreaded the thought of dressing like a pantomime bride for the sake of all of those people.

"Have the bills directed to me," Severus said quickly, conscious that she had no family to pay for such extravagance. Painful childhood memories reminded him constantly of the importance of proper dress. "I will ask Minerva to see to all arrangements. She always does enjoy a project. Unless of course you'd rather..."

"No, I'd be glad to hand everything over to her," she couldn't hide her relief. She looked around then at the room that would be hers to share with him. Books on all subjects lined every wall. "I'm not sure you have enough room for my books, Professor," she said in mock-despair.

Severus followed her gaze and allowed himself the luxury of pursing his lips together in a smile lasting more than a second. With a shake of his head, he got up and made his way over to the crystal decanter.

"Nonsense, Professor," he chided. "One can never own enough books."

"I'm not sure you understand," she nodded her thanks as he filled her glass with amber liquid. "I do have rather a lot."

"Some things never change," Severus responded wryly as he returned to his seat. "I distinctly remember the day you arrived here as Professor."

"Oh, please don't remind me," she shook her head.

"Those poor elves hauled more books on that day than they had in their entire lives," he chuckled. The sound was unfamiliar to them both but gloriously welcome.

"Oh, I felt so guilty," Hermione smiled at him from behind her glass. "But every book was necessary."

"I quite agree."

Severus looked at the clock and was surprised to see that almost two hours had passed since he last looked.

"The hour is late, Professor," he said reluctantly. Surprisingly, their conversation had been easier than he expected. "Perhaps we can continue this tomorrow evening?"

The flutter in her stomach was unexpected. She attributed it to the whisky and to the thoughts of the inevitable newspaper headlines less than 24 hours away.

"Yes, thank you," she smiled and stood to leave.

"Professor, before you go," he walked around the desk until he stood before her. "May we again return to the subject of names?"

"I was hoping you'd bring that up."

"You were?" The edge of surprise in his voice was amusing.

"Yes. It would be rather silly to go on using our formal titles now we are betrothed, Professor," she said, the teasing tone disguising her nerves. "What may I call you?"

"Severus," he said simply. That was his name. Little used these days, but his name nonetheless.

"Very well, Severus," she mock-bowed to him. "And you may call me Hermione."

"Thank you," he pursed his lips together to stop the smile that threatened to undermine his composed features and mirrored her mock-bow.

They looked at each other for a moment in silence until she smiled and turned to exit the room. He watched her go, noticing how the inky blue of of her gown flowed in the candlelight light for the first time in all the years of knowing her. The clock struck ten and he heard the door click shut as she exited. With a heavy sigh, he slumped down into his wing-backed armchair and ran a hand over his face.

"Oh, Hermione," he uttered, the name entirely foreign but not unwelcome on his tongue. The crystal glass on his desk still bore the sign of her subtle lipstick and the the air was still faintly scented with Equinox Bloom. To Severus, these little reminders of her presence in his rooms signified what was to come in their future.

Although the situation was far from desirable for her, he hoped that she would find some solace in their arrangement in time. Whilst he could not quite call her a friend, he could not deny that he held a deep level of respect for the young Witch. This respect had materialised in the desire and determination to protect her in light of the heinous Marriage Laws. A hasty and mismatched marriage, as he had learnt at at a painfully tender age, could lead to unfathomably deep heartache. The explosive brutality of his parent's marriage haunted his every thought as he was constantly reminded of his inability to protect his mother. Severus clenched his fists at the memory and paced towards his bedroom, extinguishing the candles as he went. If nothing else, by marrying Hermione he could protect her from a similar fate.

Of that he was sure.

* * *

 _AN_

 _Thank you for reading._

 _By the way, I should mention that I am dyslexic and I'm writing this story entirely on my phone so apologies for any mistakes._


	3. Chapter 3

**Perhaps the Roses Really Want to Grow**

* * *

Chapter III

After a restless night, the early morning sunlight streaming through the windows came as a relief to Severus. Just as he made his way over to the half-empty wardrobe, his owl swooped into the bedroom carrying a small wax-sealed envelope.

"The Ministry," he muttered as he took the letter from the owl's claws. The letter confirmed that the proposed betrothal had been approved. "Thank Merlin for that," he sighed as relief washed over him. With that, he dressed quickly in his robes, determined to convey the news to Hermione as soon as possible.

Before he could get to Hermione's classroom, however, he was accosted by deputy Headmistress Minerva McGonagall in the corridor outside her office.

"Is it true?" she asked immediately in a tone that was almost accusing.

"Word does travel fast.." he winced.

"Severus.." Her tone was enough of a warning.

"Yes, Minerva. It is true. In fact, I was just on my way to inform you." He lied slightly in an effort to defuse her.

The silence between them was agonising and she gestured for him to follow her to her study. Feeling every inch like a naughty schoolboy, he did his best to mask his fear with his graceful posture. They entered her study and she crossed her arms, waiting for his explanation.

"The Marriage Laws," he stated simply, gesturing with one hand as though surrendering. "There was no other way."

Minerva nodded in agreement but then shook her head.

"Have you thought this through?"

"Of course I have," he snapped.

"And Hermione is in agreement?"

"Of course Hermione is in agreement," he rolled his eyes dramatically. "What do you think I am?"

Minerva pursed her lips and decided not to push him further. All she wanted was to make sure nobody would get hurt. She cleared her throat and shooed her cat away from Severus's feet.

"Very well. If you're sure," she resigned. Her immediate concern was that it would be only a matter of hours before the news reached the press. "When will you make the official announcement?"

Severus sighed heavily and ran a hand over his face. He was sure this public interest in his private life would be the death of him.

"Tonight. Before supper. Everybody will know by then, of course, but it would be best to make it official," a quick and awkward smile pinched his lips.

"Yes, that is probably for the best," Minerva agreed and matched his heavy sigh.

After a pause in which neither of them made eye contact, Severus made his request.

"Would you act as bonder for us?"

Minerva smiled and nodded, "It would be an honour."

To this, he bowed his head in thanks and turned to leave the room. Just before he reached the door, Minerva's voice stopped him.

"Severus, wait," Minerva hastily commanded and he turned slowly to see her unlocking her desk drawer. He waited as she rummaged inside and pulled out a small cloisonné enamelled chasse. With a flick of her wand, the chasse opened to reveal a minuscule, battered rosewood box. Intrigued, Severus stepped forward to get a closer look. "My dear Elphin gave this to me a long time ago," she opened the wooden box to reveal a tiny enamelled gimmal ring. "It is over five hundred years old and is said to have belonged to Scottish royalty," she explained as she broke the ring into three separate hoops. Minerva pressed two of the hoops into Severus's palm (keeping one for herself, as was custom) and smiled sadly at his confusion-furrowed brow. "Most importantly, it heralded three years of unexpected happiness for me. If it brings you even half of the joy it brought us you will be a very lucky man indeed."

"Minerva, I can't accept this," Severus attempted to hand the rings back to her.

"Yes you can," she smiled.

Severus studied the rings closely and read the phrase etched into the yellow gold ring crowned with a white enamel heart.

"Quod devs conivnxit", he muttered and turned to the next ring, adorned by a green-gloved hand. "Homo non separet."

"Still as relevant now as when they were first exchanged," said Minerva. "The absence of a ring would surely have be noted tonight."

"Thank you, Minerva," he said genuinely. The thought really had slipped his mind entirely.

Minerva placed the chasse back into her drawer and sat down at her desk to resume work on the papers before her. "Now, do not let me keep you from her any longer - I'm sure you have much to discuss together."

* * *

Hermione had woken, bathed, dressed, and eaten breakfast just like on any ordinary day. The way her stomach flipped repeatedly, however, betrayed the day's magnitude. As she walked slowly to her classroom, acknowledging passing students and professors with courteous smiles, she couldn't help but wonder how soon the rumours would begin.

The first-years in the classroom before her were excitedly trying with varying degrees of success to summon a whole manner of objects in a chorus of 'acios, acios, acios', much to her amusement, when suddenly all of them fell unusually silent.

"What ever is the matter with you all?" She exclaimed lightheartedly and followed their collective gaze to the classroom door. There in the doorway, stood their Headmaster. Stern and emotionless as ever, he glided into the room and kept his eyes firmly on her class. "Good morning, Headmaster," she smiled and tried hard to dispel the blush that his sudden appearance had brought on.

"Good morning, Professor Granger." Each syllable dripped with treacle as he spoke and he did not pause in his glide to make eye contact. The children before him were absolutely frozen in fear and a moment of amusement flashed through her at the memories. "May I trouble you for a moment of your time?" It was clear to all that it was a demand, not a question.

"Of course," she turned to her class and flicked her wand. All 23 textbooks opened to page 165 much to the amazement of the class. "Page 165, exercise 9. You have 10 minutes to complete it. In silence." The command was firm but kind. "And no charms while I am gone."

With that, she turned and lead Severus to her small study. As he swept across the room, he made sure to look pointedly at the newest annoying Gryffindor recruits at the front of the class.

He closed the door behind them.

"How are you?" The immediate question surprised even himself, despite it coming from his own lips.

"Good," she smiled awkwardly. "How are you?"

"Good," he smiled quickly.

There was a pause in which only the low whispers of the students beyond the door could be heard. Digging into the inside pocket of his robe, he pulled out the slightly crumpled letter from the Ministry and handed it to her. "It's been approved."

"Thank Merlin for that!" She exclaimed as she poured over the letter with eagerness, savouring the words that confirmed she could remain in the wizarding world that was her home.

All he could do in response was nod, all too aware of the way her unexpected enthusiasm made his old heart jolt in surprise.

"Minerva knows," he began quietly, immediately holding up his hands in defence when Hermione's eyes widened. "She accosted me."

"Ah," Hermione winced; she doubted the older witch would appreciate not being told by her personally. "How did she take it?"

"Quite well," he frowned, remembering the initial hostility of his earlier conversation. "She agreed to be our bonder."

"That is good news," Hermione responded with a sigh of relief. Just at that moment, a collective whoop from the class outside interrupted her thoughts. With an apology in her eyes she muttered a quick "Excuse me," to Severus and flung the door wide open.

"Quiet!" She bellowed and all 23 heads turned to her in shock. "What part of 'silence' did you not understand?"

A chorus of 'sorry Miss' and 'sorry Professors' echoed around the room as they diligently returned to their textbooks. With a sigh, she returned to the small study to find Severus, arms crossed and leaning against her desk with his eyebrow arched in obvious amusement.

"Impressive, Professor Granger," he admitted in his characteristically velvety voice.

"I learnt from the best," she joked wryly, to which he arched his eyebrow further.

Unsure of how or when he should mention the two gold rings that he could feel warming in his palm as he clenched his fingers around them, he observed her for a moment as she arranged papers on her desk. He got the impression that she was only carrying out the task to occupy her hands and distract herself from the awkward silences.

"Minerva observed that one thing was missing in order to make our betrothal appear remotely natural."

Sarcasm tinged his voice so she looked up at him in amusement, casually holding a few papers as she did so. "And what was that, I wonder?" She matched his sarcasm, but itched to know what he would say.

There was a pause as he deliberated how he should say it. In the end, simplicity seemed like the only option. "A ring."

"Oh I see.." The thought hadn't even occurred to her.

"She gave these to me. They were a gift from her late husband," he opened his palm to reveal the duo of enamelled rings.

Hermione gasped at the sight of the incredibly rare objects. "Are they..."

"Yes," he answered. "Part of a set of.."

"..three. Yes, I know," she blushed as she finished his sentence. "I've read about these rings."

"Well... This one is yours..." He handed the ring decorated with the white heart to her and she accepted it timidly. "That is, if you want it." When she remained silent, staring at the ring, he frowned. "Of course, if you'd prefer something else, I'm more than happy to.."

"No!" The force with which she said it startled them both. "No, Severus," she said in a softer tone. "I think they are most..." A thousand words spun in her head but all of them vanished as she composed herself, "...appropriate."

"All thanks to Minerva." It was true. He truly had not even considered acquiring a ring.

"When shall I start wearing it?"

"Whenever you like. As long as you wear it before supper," he explained. "Making an announcement with no ring present could raise suspicion."

"I'll wear it now," she said determinedly and slightly enjoyed the brief look of shock that passed across his features.

"You don't have to. You can wait until this evening." Severus had not envisaged her being so willing to accept the ring. He hadn't really known what to expect, but this was not it.

"I want to, Severus," the honesty in her voice was so raw that it was almost unbearable.

He bit the inside of his lip in order to stop the foolish smile that threatened to form as she slipped the ring onto her wedding finger. With a moment of hesitation in an attempt not to appear too eager, he mirrored her action with his own ring.

"Well, I suppose I'll see you tonight?" Her voice was filled with nervous anticipation.

"Indeed," he nodded, the calmness in his voice disguising the quickening of his pulse.

With a final smile for him, she turned back towards the door and entered her classroom again. Such were the limited observational skills of the select group of eleven year olds, that nobody noticed the new rings encircling the fingers of their Headmaster and Charms Professor.

The secret was still their own.

For a few hours

* * *

A short time before supper, more copies than usual of the Daily Prophet arrived to the corridors of Hogwarts. Professor Snape snatched a copy from the top of one of the piles and strode over to Filch.

"And what, pray, is the meaning of this?"

Filch squinted at the professor and shrugged. "Gift from the editor."

"How very generous of her," he sneered and strode back to his quarters, leaving Filch to frown in his wake.

On entering his study, he unfolded the paper to reveal the front page, a satirical take on their usual 'announcements' section, only with a painfully bold headline and moving portraits of them both:

 **FORTHCOMING MARRIAGE**

 **PROFESSOR S.T. SNAPE AND PROFESSOR H.J GRANGER**

 _The Ministry of Magic delighted to announce the engagement between Severus Snape (HB) and Hermione Grangers (MB) of Hogwarts_.

"Oh buggering hell," he cursed and covered his eyes with his hand. Peering through his fingers, he looked at the clock; just ten minutes to go until his announcement. "Merlin help us."

* * *

Hermione exited her classroom and adjusted her velvet robes self-consciously as her students filtered out into the corridor. A sudden dip in the commotion and din of the hallway congregation coincided immediately with her appearance. 'Shhh shhh shhh' echoed up and down the hallway and she swallowed quickly. All eyes were suddenly upon her only to dart away as soon as she made eye contact. She cleared her throat, straightened her hat and walked as tall as she could through the students towards the Great Hall. They followed, whispering and giggling in her wake.

"Merlin help us," she hissed under her breath. Minerva caught her eye as she walked across the courtyard and shot her a look of sympathy. As did Filch, who had begun to remove as many copies of the Prophet as possible from the moment he clocked what was on the front page.

When she reached the hall, Hagrid was nervously waiting for her in the doorway.

"'Mione, is it true?" He asked in a low voice, as he dropped into step beside her.

"Yes, Hagrid," she whispered back. "And before you ask, yes I know what I am doing. Choice is limited in situations such as these but Professor Snape has saved me from giving up the life I love." Hermione looked up and sighed at Hagrid's frown. "He is a good man and, dare I say it, a hero."

"That he is. 'Mione dear," Hagrid nodded and looked over to where the Headmaster was standing before gently placing his large hand on Hermione's shoulder, "as long as you're safe an' 'appy. That's all that matters to me."

"Thank you, Hagrid," she answered warmly, touched by her friend's concern and by his trepidation.

The absolute silence in the hall as she entered was oppressive and sticky. Only the footsteps of the professors and Hagrid echoed from the stone floor as students dropped away from behind them to take their seats. Hermione knew every pair of eyes were focused solely on her. Severus, who was already standing at the lectern, met her look of sheer panic with a slight nod and quick smile as she drew nearer.

The embarrassment of the long walk through prying eyes, he could tell, was almost crushing her and he saw in her eyes a silent plea for help. He could see that she was trying in vain to disguise her deeply blushing cheeks in the upstanding collar of her gown and took pity on her. "Nolite erubescere," he whispered.

Hermione felt her cheeks and neck cool as soon as his lips ceased to move after casting the silent spell. The gesture touched her deeply and she mouthed a quick 'thank you' to him before stepping up to take her usual seat at the table. Nobody, least of all her, could breathe as they waited for him to speak.

"Before we begin, I have an announcement to make," Severus began, sternly. "As most of you are undoubtably now aware, Professor Granger and I are to marry." There were a few shocked gasps from those who had not yet heard the rumours. Excited whispering broke out across the room from staff and students alike. "Quiet." All noise ceased instantly at his menacingly staccato command. "May I remind you all that this matter is private and will remain so at all costs. Consequences for those, be they students or staff, who neglect to remember this will be of unimaginable severity and will be personally overseen by me." The hall was silent as all present, his future wife included, inwardly shuddered at each word. "Do I make myself clear?" A sea of solemn nods from students and staff alike greeted his question and he smiled darkly. "Good. Now, eat."

After a second's pause to digest the shock as their Headmaster made his way to his seat, the feasting commenced. Hermione breathed for what felt like the first time in minutes and eagerly reached for her goblet of claret. Only she had the courage to follow him with her eyes as turned from the lectern and passed in front of the head table on his way to his seat.

Unlike at the feast of the previous evening, both of them ate in silence as their fellow professors chattered around them. Hermione assumed that nobody particularly knew what to say to her but was happy to be left to her thoughts on this occasion. Once or twice, she glanced down the seated row of professors to her right but could only see Severus's hands, partially obscured as ever by the cuffs of his long black doublet. Once he had finished, he ran the thumb of his left hand around the ring covering the base of his wedding finger. He appeared to do so absently.

Severus stared straight ahead throughout supper, intentionally avoiding eye contact with anybody in the room. The topic of every conversation was probably his forthcoming nuptials and he closed his eyes briefly at that knowledge. The painful myth that he was a coward has long since been dispelled, but he winced at the thought of what sordid things they must be saying about him now.

"Congratulations, Sir." Hagrid's voice startled him and he realised it was time to leave the Great Hall as supper was now over and he was the only professor still seated. He hastily sprung to his feet and turned to the giant. "It's very proper what you've done for 'Mione."

Severus forced a courteous smile. "Congratulations accepted."

Hagrid grinned warmly to hide his discomfort, half hoping that the Headmaster would say something more to make the situation less awkward. He didn't. "Any road, I best be off." With that, Hagrid left the Severus alone.

Severus bit back the annoyance Hagrid's congratulations had prompted within him, feeling his life was to become something of a public pantomime. The hall had emptied completely, apart from the solitary figure of Hermione who was fast disappearing into the courtyard beyond. With sudden haste, he strode towards her retreating figure, noticing again how the velvet train of her long-sleeved coat shimmered in the moonlight. A number of times in the past few years, he had wondered how it was possible that she could dress with such a timeless and simple elegance yet never seem to tame the wildness of her hair. Even when wearing a hat.

On hearing fast approaching footsteps on the cobbles behind her, she turned to see him sweeping towards her. "Severus," she greeted him with a smile, a smile which he returned as he clasped his hands behind his back and dropped into step beside her. The relief was palpable in the air between them as they silently made their way to his tower. "At least that part is over."

"Hmm," he mused, absentmindedly as he looked up to the stars in the clear September evening. "Do you think they got the message?"

She shook her head in amusement as the sardonic edge in his voice. "They most certainly did. The poor students were scared witless."

He paused to look at her, eyebrow arched high and a scowl in his eyes. "Only the students?"

"You really are too awful sometimes," she laughed breathily and began to walk again.

"I aim to please."

By the time they had reached the door to the tower, he had managed to stay perfectly aloof and composed for the entire walk, despite (rather unsettlingly) having the urge to laugh along with her.

Following him into his quarters, Hermione picked up that evening's copy of the Daily Prophet from the side table, removing his folded reading glasses that rested atop it in the process.

"Oh dear." Severus glanced over to her as she read the front page article. "How embarrassing." He tapped the decanter of port by way of asking her if she would care for some. "No, thank you. I drank more than enough claret at supper." The amused smile that graced his lips was hidden from her as he poured his own crusted port. "I'm so, so sorry that you are being dragged through this for my sake, Severus." She slumped down into the wingback chair and covered her mouth with her hand, deep in thought.

The armchair opposite her creaked as he took a seat in the well-worn leather, watching her curiously as she shook her head at the article before her. "You're not having second thoughts?"

"It's a little too late for that now." She looked up to him just in time to see a flash of pain in his eyes. "But no, I'm not having second thoughts at all. Today had just been whirlwind." A surge of emotion suddenly gripped her and she gasped as a breathy sob claimed her. Embarrassed, she turned her face away from him and silently begged the tears not to fall.

"Don't hide from me," he commanded softly, his heart cracking slowly at the sight of her so tormented. "I'm truly sorry for the situation, Hermione. It's important that you know I will release you in an instant if that is what you desire."

"I'm sorry, it must be all that wine!" She smiled bravely and looked down at her hands in her lap. "It's just... This isn't what I thought marriage would be like."

"You mean you didn't envisage being forced into a loveless marriage by the Ministry of Magic?" Sarcasm hid all emotion from his voice, a technique he had down to an art. "How unusual."

To his surprise, she didn't laugh as he expected her to, but looked directly at him. He couldn't help but notice tears welling in her eyes.

"I'm sure it won't be loveless, Severus," she whispered, fiddling with the ring on her finger. She chose to ignore the way his eyes widened in shock at her words. It was a form of love, she reasoned, that had led him to help her. Not romantic, of course, but a noble, courtly love stemming from a deep respect and desire to protect. "Love takes many forms."

"Oh I know," he admitted sadly in a voice that was almost a release of air.

The heaviness of those three simple words made her gasp in realisation of what she had said. "Oh Severus, I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have said such a thing." Hermione stood with her hand clasped to her mouth in shame.

The bittersweet memory of Lily (his Lily) swept over him in that moment. "Potter told you?"

"Not precisely," she answered honestly, "but he said enough for me to fill in the gaps." Knowing how sacred privacy was for him, she felt ashamed at having ever taken such interest in his past.

"I see," he said simply. Oh the pain! It was unbearable at the best of times but now it was worse than it had been for a long time.

"I'm so sorry for your loss, Severus. Truly, I am." The slight choke in her voice soothed him. Sympathy was not something he was used to receiving. A few moments of silence passed while he was lost deep in thought. "You still love her, don't you?"

He sighed and gripped his crystal glass a little tighter. "Always, Hermione. That will never change."

Struck by the depth of his love for Lily, she slowly sat down in the armchair again. "I'm glad." She spoke truthfully. "Love shouldn't stop at death."

"It doesn't, believe me," he smiled sadly. Clearing his throat, he made his way back to the decanter and re-filled his glass. "Despite everything, Hermione, I think we have the potential to be content with each other." Although he wouldn't quite stretch to using the word 'happy', he could probably guarantee that they would be content.

"Yes, I do believe we have a chance." Had she not believed it was possible, she would probably not have agreed to any of this, despite the consequences. "Providing that you find room for my books and don't mind my cat living with us."

Her attempt to lighten the mood had him spinning around to glare at her. "That infernal beast?"

"Yes, 'that infernal beast'," she replied evenly.

"I don't recall agreeing to this."

"That's because I didn't give you a choice."

Not for the first time in her time at Hogwarts, she had him stumped. Instead of descending further into argument, he glared at her. He didn't much like cats, especially large fluffy malting cats.

"Anyway, I will leave you with that thought and head back to my rooms; it's an early start for me tomorrow and I have letters to write before morning." She stood to leave and he mirrored her movements, still glaring at her. Although she wanted to stay, there was much work to be done before morning in the form of letters to friends informing them of her news. She brushed down her dress and turned to leave. "Good night, Severus."

"Goodnight, Hermione," he whispered softly as he escorted her to the door, his hand hovering over the small of her back.

Once the door had clicked closed, he warded it as he usually did in the evening and exhaled heavily. As he made his way to the bedroom alone, he wondered how life would change after their marriage and if they would ever grow to be truly content. Only time would tell, but he made a mental note to have more bookshelves added to help things along.

As well as being tortured by thoughts of his past with Lily and of concerns for his future with Hermione, as he dressed for bed that night, he also found himself hoping that Hermione was joking about the cat.

He really couldn't abide the thing.

* * *

AN:

Thank you for your reviews and encouragement.

If you've never seen a gimmal ring, it's well worth a google. The inscription is borrowed from a ring at the V&A.

 _ **UPDATED AUTHOR'S NOTE:** I am actually in the process of setting up my profile with links to places and things mentioned in this story but I just haven't yet managed to find time to complete it. I did not intend to offend anybody by saying 'it's well worth a google' regarding the rings. My British humour sometimes doesn't translate. _


End file.
